Humanoid robots that spar, exoskeletons that help people walk, AI glasses that translate and take photos -- at the 140th Canton Fair, a long list of frontier products representing new quality productive forces are on display together, a microcosm of why the fair stays new.
"The Canton Fair shows the power of technology," "it builds a bridge for international economic and trade cooperation," "it is the most trusted global business platform" -- international opinion has responded positively.
This year marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan and the 70th anniversary of the Canton Fair. Over seven decades, exhibition space has grown from 9,600 square meters at the first session to 1.55 million square meters, and buyers from 1,200 to more than 300,000 this year, making it China's longest-running, largest and most productive international trade event.
In his congratulatory letter, President Xi Jinping said that over the 70 years since its founding, the Canton Fair has played an important role in promoting trade between China and other countries and has become an effective platform for expanding high-level opening up and building an open world economy.
The first phase focused on advanced manufacturing, showcasing electronics and home appliances, industrial manufacturing, lighting and electrical equipment, hardware and tools, and vehicles including two-wheelers. A service robot zone presented embodied intelligence, special operations and public service applications, while 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI features were introduced, with booth-level navigation across the venue.
Singaporean buyer Lim Teck Yong said the fair lets them connect efficiently with quality suppliers and makes cross-border cooperation more sincere and solid. Canadian buyer Klein Yehuda called it "stunning," noting that many products on site incorporate robotics and AI.
Wang Xiaosong, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Economics, attributed the fair's renewal to China's continued technological innovation, its complete industrial system that brings new quality productive forces to the show floor, and its commitment to high-level opening up.
For companies around the world, the fair means concrete trade opportunities. Over 70 years it has provided a one-stop platform with a full range of categories, with cumulative transaction value reaching 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars.
As both a "super seller" and a "super buyer," China brings neighbor-benefiting and wealth-creating effects. China is the world's largest goods trader and second-largest consumer market; in the first three quarters, its goods trade totaled 39.94 trillion yuan, up 18.8 percent year on year.
